There is no doubt that the area of information technology is one of the largest and fastest growing areas in the world. One only has to think of Google, Youtube, Facebook, Blackberry and now Iphone, Ipod, Ipad, etc. Apple has led the growth of this industry to become the largest capitalised business in the United States. The potential for huge rewards exists but new ideas have to be developed. One must not however overlook the existing technology which has the potential to earn significant amounts of foreign exchange for the country.

One of the underutilized enterprises in information technology is that of computer graphics and design. Nearly all modern advertising utilizes some form of computer graphics as this type of design is more versatile and much cheaper to do. Closely tied to this is the design of web sites which in Jamaica are woefully lacking in quality. We have fallen way behind the rest of the world and there is an urgent update needed to carry us into the 21st century. Modern websites not only carry information about the company but also are used as a primary selling tool. They provide very detailed information about the company’s products and give the user the opportunity to buy goods and services online. These we b sites require constant updating and thus provide a steady flow of income to those who are knowledgeable on their workings.

There are still possibilities for data entry and programming in Jamaica but there is a need to ensure that more training is put in place so as to get better qualified workers. However, there is a lot of competition worldwide in this area from countries which are technologically superior to us. We need to research the opportunities in this area and then put in place what is needed to meet these requirements. It may be that we can’t develop the programming but that we can work on the writing of the programme. Here again the fact that we speak English is an advantage that many other companies lack. Another possible area could be the assembly of these various technical devices; many countries have large factories used solely for the purpose of assembling devices for the main technology companies of the world.

The beauty of Information Technology is that there are jobs available at all levels of training from data entry to systems managers. It is an industry that can provide a large number of jobs in a short period of time but is an industry that is rapidly changing. Those who are engaged in this sector must be prepared to continually update their skills.

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